Chad Daybell trial: Potential jurors questioned on Day 1

BOISE — The voir dire process for jury selection in the Chad Daybell trial began on Monday morning at the Ada County Courthouse.

Daybell is charged with conspiracy to commit murder, first-degree murder, insurance fraud and grand theft in connection to the deaths of 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, 7-year-old J.J. Vallow and Daybell’s late wife, Tammy Daybell.

Voir dire is a preliminary process in which potential jurors are questioned by the prosecution, defense and the judge to determine if they can be impartial and help provide a fair trial. 

Sixteen jurors sat for questioning on Monday morning. Every potential juror previously filled out a questionnaire to narrow down the pool. Judge Steven Boyce saw two groups of potential jurors on Monday and questioned them along with the prosecution and defense. 

Chad Daybell sat in the courtroom, eyes trained on the wall in front of him. He remained fairly still throughout the duration of the court proceedings. 

Two jurors were excused within an hour of the process, both due to undue hardships: one who would be fired if they took 10 weeks off to be a jury member and one who had a graduation to attend in May.

“This is your opportunity to say how you feel,” Daybell’s attorney John Prior said to the jury pool. 

Prior referenced the length of the trial as he questioned the potential jurors, stating that the case length could be anywhere from eight to 10 weeks long.

“It’s two and a half months of your life that we’re asking you to put forth,” Prior said. “I just want to make sure that all of you are going to be able to put that time commitment in.”

A couple of jury members voiced concerns about the time commitment.

Prior then asked one jury member if they would be inclined to rush the process because of the time the trial would take. The jury member said no.

When asked if any jury members felt that Daybell was guilty, one jury member raised their card, although they said they would be able to be unbiased as a potential jury member. Later in the day, three jurors were excused due to concerns of bias against Daybell. 

During individual voir dire, each juror was questioned about bias, attitudes about the death penalty and potential undue hardships. Vacation plans, work demands, paid time off, family responsibilities and desire to be a part of the jury were all discussed at length, both during individual and group questioning. 

One juror, who holds a bachelor's degree in religion, was asked if differing religious beliefs would affect the way they viewed the case. They said it would not. Another juror, who has five young children and runs a daycare, was asked if they would be able to focus on the case for upwards of 10 weeks and not be distracted by other responsibilities. They said they would be able to focus on the case. 

Seven members of the first group of potential jurors were excused for reasons including undue hardship or bias in the case, leaving nine fit to serve on the jury. The overwhelming majority of the potential jurors expressed that they take their civic duty seriously and they would be dedicated to being a jury member during the trial, however long it may take. The court broke for lunch around 2:30 p.m. 

Last year, Daybell’s wife, Lori Vallow, was convicted of the same charges Daybell now faces, including conspiracy to murder and first-degree murder of Tammy Daybell and the murders of J.J. and Tylee. She was also found guilty of grand theft, after taking her children’s Social Security checks after their deaths.

The couple has ties to Rexburg, where Vallow moved in September 2019. Daybell lived just outside of Rexburg.

Despite the cases’ ties to east Idaho, the Daybell/Vallow story has garnered national attention and both trials have taken place in Ada County. The prosecution in Vallow's case said she was a woman searching for money, power and sex; her attorneys said she was a mother caught in the clutches of Daybell, whom they described as a cult-like leader.

Jury selection continues Tuesday at 9 a.m. and is anticipated to last longer than the Vallow jury selection did (five days) because the death penalty is a possible sentence.